Howard Stern's SiriusXM 101 Channel Removed Following Staff Layoffs

Howard Stern's Howard 101 channel on SiriusXM has been removed after approximately 12 staff members were laid off earlier this summer. According to a channel lineup announcement from SiriusXM, notable changes include Andy Cohen's Radio Andy moving from channel 102 to channel 101, while Howard 101 will no longer be part of the lineup. A representative for Stern did not respond to a request for comment on Friday evening. This development follows a report from Page Six that Stern laid off around 12 staffers via Zoom, as he prepared to reduce his show schedule to one episode per week starting after Labor Day. The affected employees were reportedly sent home immediately after the call and would receive severance packages based on their tenure with the network. While some reports indicated that staffers were offered approximately one week of pay for each year worked, other sources suggested that some employees felt satisfied with their negotiated severance. Stern signed a three-year contract with SiriusXM in December 2025, which he stated would provide him with flexibility. He expressed to listeners, "I am happy to announce that I have figured out a way to have it all: more free time and continuing to be on the radio." His previous five-year contract with the network was valued at $500 million. Stern's wife, Beth Stern, later mentioned on Cohen's Sirius show that his new schedule was working well for him. Earlier this year, Stern faced a lawsuit from a former assistant alleging a hostile work environment, but the case was dismissed in its entirety by a New York State Supreme Court judge in July. In a public appearance in the Hamptons, Stern and his wife attended John Mayer's SiriusXM performance at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York, alongside other notable figures. Reports have also surfaced regarding Stern's workplace policies, including claims that female staff members were not allowed to wear sneakers at work and had to hide their shoes under desks. An insider alleged that employees were warned not to speak to Stern at company parties, with some reportedly being fired for doing so, leading to characterizations of the workplace environment as "cultish."